1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a holding device used to secure a 4-in-hand necktie in place along the front portion of the wearer's shirt and more particularly to such a device that remains concealed during use and doesn't pose a threat of damaging the fabric of the necktie with he use of adhesives, pins, alligator clips or the like.
2. Prior Art
A 4-in-hand necktie generally has two panels which comprise a wide end portion and a narrow end portion. When worn, the narrow end panel is located behind the wide end panel, and held in front of the buttons of the wearer's shirt by a tie tack, tie clasp or other device.
Many such devices have been disclosed for the purpose of securing 4-in-hand neckties. There are two basic types of such devices; those which are concealed during use and those which are worn on the outside of the tie, usually as a jewelry object.
Some forms of devices known of the art for securing neck-tie panels and remain concealed can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,920,579; 4,099,300; and 4,655,375. Such devices restrict the movement of the wearer, due to the fact that they either employ alligator type clips that clamp the tie and/or devise onto the shirt, are constructed of hard plastic which makes it relatively flat and inflexible, or when engaged, does not leave sufficient room for the tie to "slide" with the wearer's movement. This restricted movement may result in discomfort of the wearer due to the fact that since tie clasp is so stringently affixed to the wearer's shirt, the tie can pull on the wearer's neck or shirt during certain movement.
Other forms of devices can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,467,993; 4,554,710; and 4,827,576. These devices use adhesives to hold the tie panels in place or even require that a permanent structure be attached to the tie. These pose disadvantages, since the adhesives will eventually wear out and the permanent structure may become dislodged during dry-cleaning. The most obvious disadvantage of these devices, however, is that they can cause damage to the delicate and often expensive fabrics that neckties are made of.
Whatever the precise merits, features and advantages of the above cited references, none singly provides all of the objectives of the present invention.